Willie Aikens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Willie Aikens |
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: October 14, 1954 Seneca, South Carolina, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 17, 1977, for the California Angels | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 27, 1985, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .271 | ||
| Home runs | 110 | ||
| Runs batted in | 415 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Willie Mays Aikens (born October 14, 1954) is a former professional baseball first baseman from the United States. He played in Major League Baseball for the California Angels, Kansas City Royals, and Toronto Blue Jays from 1977 to 1985. He was known as a strong hitter, but faced challenges that affected his career. In 1994, Aikens was sentenced to prison. He was released on June 4, 2008, after changes in federal laws. His story is sometimes used to show the effects of certain sentencing rules.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Start
Growing Up in South Carolina
Willie Aikens grew up in a community called Bruce Hill in Seneca, South Carolina. His family faced tough times. He was a talented athlete at Seneca High School, playing baseball, football, and basketball.
College and Professional Draft
Aikens attended South Carolina State University on a scholarship for baseball and football. When the university stopped its baseball program after his first year, his high school coach helped him join a summer baseball league. While playing in Baltimore, Maryland, he caught the eye of a California Angels scout. The Angels then picked him as the second overall player in the January 1975 MLB draft.
Major League Baseball Career
Playing for the California Angels
Aikens quickly became one of the best hitters in the California Angels' minor league teams. In 1976, he hit 30 home runs and had 117 runs batted in (RBIs) for the El Paso Diablos.
He started the 1977 season with the Angels' Triple-A team in Salt Lake City. He hit 14 home runs and had a strong .336 batting average. He joined the Angels' major league team in September. In 42 games, he hit .198 and did not hit a home run.
In 1978, Aikens returned to his strong hitting form. He batted .326 with 29 home runs and 110 RBIs for the Salt Lake City Gulls. He came back to the major leagues in 1979. He played as a designated hitter and filled in for Rod Carew at first base when Carew was injured. He had a good rookie season, batting .280 with 21 home runs and 81 RBIs.
Time with the Kansas City Royals
The Angels traded Aikens to the Kansas City Royals in December 1979. He became the Royals' first baseman. Even though he made 12 errors in 1980, he was a strong hitter. He started slowly but played very well in the second half of the season. He finished with 20 home runs and 98 RBIs, second only to George Brett on his team.
The Royals won their division in 1980 and faced the New York Yankees in the playoffs. After losing to the Yankees in previous years, the Royals swept them in three games in the 1980 American League Championship Series. This meant they would play the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.
Aikens hit two home runs in Game 1 and Game 4 of the 1980 World Series. He was the only player in World Series history to hit two home runs in the same game twice in one World Series until Chase Utley did it in 2009. Aikens also helped the Royals win their first World Series game by getting the game-winning RBI in Game 3. He batted .400 in the series, but the Royals lost the World Series in six games.
In the 1981 season, which was shorter due to a strike, Aikens led the Royals in both home runs and RBIs. The Royals made it to the postseason again but were swept by the Oakland Athletics in the 1981 American League Division Series. Aikens batted .333 in the series.
In 1983, Aikens batted over .300 for the first time in his career. However, his career began to decline after this. Towards the end of the 1983 season, Aikens and some of his Royals teammates faced legal questions. After the season, Aikens and other players pleaded guilty to certain charges. They were sentenced to three months in prison.
Playing for the Toronto Blue Jays
After his sentencing, the Royals traded Aikens to the Toronto Blue Jays. Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn first suspended Aikens for a year. But after a review in May 1984, he was allowed to play again. In 93 games, Aikens hit 11 home runs and had 26 RBIs.
The Blue Jays released Aikens early in the 1985 season. They later signed him to a minor league contract. In his last major league at-bat on April 27, Aik85, Aikens hit a pinch-hit two-run home run to tie the game. The Blue Jays won the game in the tenth inning. Despite hitting .311 with 16 home runs for the Syracuse Chiefs in the minor leagues, he never returned to the majors. He played a few games for the New York Mets' minor league team in 1986 before going to play in Mexico.
Baseball in Mexico
Aikens played for six years in the Mexican League. He was often one of the league's top hitters. In 1986, he batted .454, which is one of the highest single-season averages in professional baseball history. He played for several teams in Mexico, including the Pericos de Puebla, Charros de Jalisco, Bravos de León, and Industriales de Monterrey.
He also played winter baseball in the Mexican Pacific League. In 2012, the Venados de Mazatlán team retired his number, which is a great honor.
Life After Prison
Aikens served his prison sentence and was released on June 4, 2008. This happened after new guidelines in federal laws were approved. Hal McRae, a former Royals teammate, helped Aikens get a job in road construction.
Since his release, Aikens has visited schools to share his experiences. He also speaks to young players for the Royals, hoping to return to baseball in some way. In November 2008, he apologized to Royals fans and the people of Kansas City in the Kansas City Star newspaper.
On February 1, 2011, the Royals announced that they had hired Aikens as a minor league coach. He would be based at the team's complex in Surprise, Arizona. His start was delayed because his wife, Sara, had a stroke.
Aikens has three daughters: Nicole and Sarita with Sara, and Lucia from a previous relationship.
His life after prison is shown in the 2022 film The Royal.
Images for kids
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Willie Aikens during his playing career.
